I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Although Qin Mu's tent was a temporary structure, it was very well organized.

The tent was covered with thick felt blankets, and the charcoal stoves in the four corners burned bright red, effectively keeping out the chill of the northern night.

He was leaning against a low couch reading a book. The scroll in his hand was an old record he had found in the library of the Northern Mang royal court. It recorded the migration routes of various tribes on the grasslands over the past hundred years. The paper was yellowed and the edges were curled.

The light from the oil lamp wasn't very bright, so he held the book closer, his shoulders slightly hunched.

A corner of the tent flap was lifted, and a cold wind swirled in a small snowflake, which was then quickly covered by Chen Ruoyao behind her.

She was holding a rough earthenware bowl filled with freshly brewed milk tea, steaming with white vapor, the aroma of milk and tea mingling together.

She walked to the low couch, placed the bowl on the small table next to Qin Mu, and sat down beside him as naturally as if she were at home.

"Young Master, are you still reading those old books? You've been reading them for days." Chen Ruoyao turned her head and leaned over to take a look at the handwriting on the pages. "They're even harder to understand than military reports."

Qin Mu closed the book, picked up the bowl, and took a sip.

The milk tea was rich, slightly salty, and left a lingering warmth as it slid down my throat: "The affairs of the Northern Barbarians cannot be understood by fighting alone. The paths they have taken are more useful than any military treatise."

Jiang Zhaoyue sat on the other side of the low couch, folding a freshly dried undergarment in her hands.

The fabric, still warm from the charcoal fire, was folded neatly and carefully, with the edges pressed down meticulously.

She folded it neatly and placed it aside without looking up, her voice low: "Young master has a banquet to attend tomorrow, so please rest early tonight."

Qin Mu glanced at her: "Are you trying to get me to sleep?"

Jiang Zhaoyue looked up to meet his gaze: "Your Majesty, I am just reminding you that the banquet tomorrow will not be short."

Chen Ruoyao chuckled beside her, picked up another bowl, took a sip of milk tea, and her lips glistened with a thin layer of moisture: "What Sister Jiang means is that if Young Master is not in good spirits tomorrow, he won't be able to hold the fort."

Qin Mu shook his head, didn't reply, slowly finished the remaining milk tea in the bowl, and placed it on the small table.

The bowl made a very soft sound as it rested on the wooden surface, and then remained still after settling down.

Chen Ruoyao took the bowl away and glanced at Qin Mu as she stood up: "Young Master, I've heard that the dances of Northern Mang are very beautiful. We should go see them tomorrow."

Qin Mu chuckled: "Do you want to see the dance, or do you want to see me watch it?"

Chen Ruoyao paused for a moment after his question, then smiled and said, "I want to see them all."

Without waiting for Qin Mu's reply, she picked up her bowl, lifted the curtain, and went out.

A gust of cold wind blew in again, only to be immediately blocked by the curtains once more.

The following evening, Huyan Lie's banquet was held in a side hall of the royal court.

The hall was covered with thick, dark red felt, and the walls were adorned with animal hides and bronze bells. The bronze bells were decorated with fine cloud patterns outlined in silver thread, which shimmered in the candlelight.

The long table was filled with all kinds of food. Roasted lamb chops were piled up in small, golden-brown mounds, and hand-pulled meat was steaming in a wooden tray. There were also several dishes of dried fruit and cheese unique to Northern Mang, served on silver platters and arranged neatly.

The wine jug was made of copper, and its body was slightly hot from being heated by charcoal. When the wine was poured into the rough earthenware bowl, it was still bubbling with fine bubbles.

Huyan Lie sat in the main seat, with two guards wearing animal skin armor standing beside him.

Today he wore a dark brown brocade robe, his belt was tied properly, and his expression was more relaxed than a few days ago, but there was still a layer of caution between his brows and eyes that he had not completely removed.

Upon seeing Qin Mu enter the hall, he immediately stood up, stepped forward from the main seat to greet him, clasped his hands and bowed: "Your Majesty, please take a seat."

Qin Mu waved his hand: "You are the host, and I am the guest. I will sit next to you."

Hu Yanlie was slightly taken aback, then turned to the side and led him to the first seat on the left.

After Qin Mu took his seat, he did not rush to touch the food on the table, but first glanced around at the furnishings of the hall.

The animal hides and copper bells were hung on the walls in a staggered arrangement, and a large open space covered with red felt was left in the center of the side hall, like a reserved stage.

Huyan Lie followed Qin Mu's gaze to the open space and said, "I have heard that Your Majesty has been working tirelessly at Qingshi Ferry for days without a proper rest. Today, I have prepared some local specialties and songs and dances from Northern Mang for the banquet, as a way to help Your Majesty relax."

Qin Mu withdrew his gaze, picked up the wine bowl in front of him, and took a sip: "You've put your heart into this."

Seeing him pick up the wine bowl, Huyan Lie also picked it up and took a sip. After putting the bowl down, he turned his head slightly and nodded to the side of the hall.

The copper bell rang.

First, there were two evenly spaced sounds, like a sound test.

Then came the third and fourth strikes, forming a series of short, rapid rhythms.

Immediately afterwards, the animal skin curtain on the north side was lifted from both sides, and a row of women dressed in traditional Northern Mang dance costumes filed out.

They wore long dresses in deep red and black stripes, with wide hems that fluttered like flags in the wind as they moved.

A string of fine silver bells was tied around her waist, making a soft tinkling sound with each step. The sound was not harsh, but rather woven into a subtle, underlying noise.

Their hair was braided into many thin braids, with tiny silver pieces hanging from the ends, occasionally flashing a cold light when the candlelight shone on them.

The woman at the front had the most steady gait. She stopped in the center of the open space, and the others dispersed behind her in a staggered manner.

Huyan Lie turned his head slightly and whispered to Qin Mu, "This is the oldest Moon-Treading Dance in Northern Mang. It is usually only performed at royal banquets."

Qin Mu didn't turn his head, his gaze remaining fixed on the group of dancers: "You've gone to a lot of trouble."

The copper bell rang three more times.

They moved.

The woman at the front took a step forward, her skirt billowing up with the movement, revealing a silver chain around her ankle.

Her movements had a restrained grace, like the slow, continuous force of the wind pushing the grass across the prairie.

The people behind followed one by one, maintaining the same distance from each other.

As their wrists turned, they cast shadows illuminated by the candlelight, which shifted and changed shape and direction on the red felt.

Qin Mu put down his wine bowl, neither staring at him for too long nor appearing distant.

His gaze swept over the dancers, and when it returned to Huyan Lie's face, his tone was calm but weighty: "These dancers you chose, you didn't pick them from the royal court's dance troupe, did you?"

Huyan Lie was surprised that he would notice this. He paused for a moment, then put down the wine bowl in his hand: "Your Majesty has good eyesight. They came from the Baihe Army."

Qin Mu did not ask why the female relatives of the Baihe Army were at the banquet; he simply picked up his wine bowl and took another sip.

As the dance came to an end, the woman at the front stopped in place, and the people behind her stood on either side of her, forming a fan shape.

They both bent slightly at the same time, and the silver bells made a dense, soft sound before falling silent.

A moment later, several maids carrying copper platters entered through a side door and placed the newly added hot food and a pot of freshly warmed wine on the table in front of Qin Mu.

Huyan Lie also picked up his wine bowl and raised it towards Qin Mu.

Qin Mu also raised his bowl, neither finishing it nor putting it down.

The rims of the bowls crossed for a fleeting moment in the air.

Qin Mu's gaze fell on the group of dancers who had retreated to the side, then returned to Huyan Lie's face: "You invited me to drink today, not to watch the dance, were you?"

Huyan Lie put down his wine bowl: "Since Your Majesty has asked, I will speak frankly. Yesterday, I received a secret letter, which was sent from the northern border."

Qin Mu didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.

Hu Yanlie paused, then lowered his voice: "The letter was unsigned, but the contents seem to be the work of that person from the Northern Border."

Qin Mu smiled and said, "Xu Longxiang."

Huyan Lie nodded.

Qin Mu put down his wine bowl, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "What did he say in the letter he wrote to you?"

Huyan Lie was silent for a moment: "He said that Northern Mang can choose not to stand with Great Qin. He said he is willing to give Northern Mang another path to take."

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, picked up his wine bowl, and took another sip: "So, how do you plan to respond to him?"

Huyan Lie did not answer immediately.

He glanced down at the bowl of wine in front of him; the surface of the wine swayed slightly, reflecting the candlelight.

After a moment, he raised his head, his voice more steady than before: "I will not reply to him."

Qin Mu glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

He simply finished the last drop of wine in his bowl and gently placed it back on the table.

The bronze bells inside the hall had stopped ringing at some point, and the candlelight burned quietly in the lamps.

Qin Mu placed the bowl back on the table, the bottom of the bowl hitting the wooden surface with a very soft sound.

He glanced at Huyan Lie, his tone flat, as if he were saying something that had already been decided: "Reply as you should."

Hu Yanlie raised his head, as if to confirm whether those four words meant exactly what he had heard.

Qin Mu didn't explain much, but simply pushed the plate of dried fruit in front of him an inch to the side, as if he no longer needed the dish.

Huyan Lie was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Your subject understands."

He didn't press further or ask any more questions.

Qin Mu stood up, straightened the hem of his robe, and moved slowly and deliberately.

"The wine is finished, I'll head back now."

Huyan Lie rose to his feet and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Your Majesty, I see you off."

Qin Mu waved his hand, refusing to let him see him off, and turned to walk towards the palace gate.

A tiny spark burst from the wick of the oil lamp behind me, making a soft "crackling" sound.

As he walked out of the side hall, a cold wind rushed towards him.

The northern wilderness was bitterly cold at night, and the wind carried the smell of dry snow.

The paper lanterns under the eaves swayed slightly in the wind, casting a flickering light at his feet.

He walked through two doorways, turned a corner, and returned to his tent.

Yunluan stood outside the tent curtain. When she saw him approach, she turned to the side and lifted the curtain without saying a word.

Qin Mu bent down and crawled inside.

The charcoal fire inside the tent was burning even brighter than before we left, and the warmth lingered in the air.

He was about to take off his outer robe when he paused slightly.

There are people inside the tent.

It's neither Jiang Zhaoyue nor Chen Ruoyao.

three people.

They sat on the felt cushions at the back, each with a different posture, yet all exuding a gentle charm unlike that of women from the North.

They wore dance skirts unique to the Northern Barbarians, which were darker in color and more form-fitting than those worn by the dancers at the banquet, with higher slits in the skirts.

Instead of silver bells around their waists, they wore thin silver chains that reached down to their knees, swaying slightly with their movements.

When they saw Qin Mu enter, they all stood up at the same time, bowed their heads in unison, their posture respectful but not stiff.

The woman on the far left has her hair down, not braided, with long, black hair hanging down and gleaming softly in the candlelight.

Her eyebrows and eyes were lighter than the other two, like ink marks faded by the wind, but it was precisely because of their lightness that they were more pleasing to the eye.

The woman in the middle had fairer skin than the average Northern Mang person, with long and smooth lines to her shoulders and neck. She wore a deep red strapless dress, revealing her collarbone and a small patch of skin on her shoulders that had been warmed by the charcoal fire.

The woman on the right looked the youngest, with a slight curve at the corners of her mouth, as if she was about to burst into laughter at any moment. However, when her gaze met Qin Mu's, she gently withdrew that smile, turning it into a more restrained arc.

The three stood in a row, but no one spoke first, and no one stepped forward.

Qin Mu's gaze swept across their faces one by one, then he took off his outer robe and casually draped it over the wooden rack next to him.

He walked to the low couch, sat down, picked up the bowl of tea on the small table—which had gone half-cold—took a sip, put it down, and then asked, "Who sent you?"

The woman in the middle raised her head, her voice not loud, but her enunciation so clear it was almost unlike that of a Northern Barbarian: "It was the Khan's order."

Qin Mu neither pressed for details nor said he didn't need it.

He leaned back on the low couch, his gaze fixed on the three of them: "What can you do?"

The woman on the far left spoke first: "This humble servant can play the pipa."

The woman in the middle said, "I know how to warm wine."

The youngest woman on the right hesitated for a moment before saying, "This humble servant... knows how to peel walnuts."

Qin Mu glanced at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly, not outright, but the curve was there.

He reached into the plate beside him, took a walnut, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of her: "Then try peeling one."

The woman reached out and took it, her movements very gentle. She bent down and slowly peeled the walnut shell, her fingertips prying it open little by little along the seam without making a sound.

She placed the peeled walnuts in a clean little dish and pushed it back in front of Qin Mu.

Qin Mu glanced down at the whole walnut kernel in the dish, but didn't eat it right away. He just picked it up, looked at it in his palm, and then put it back in the dish.

He looked up: "You all should sit down. Standing doesn't look like you're here to entertain."

The three sat down in front of him, each finding a spot. The distance between them was just right, neither too close nor too far, so that it didn't feel cramped or too empty.

They didn't speak after they sat down, as if they were used to waiting.

Qin Mu didn't rush to speak.

He held the half-cooled teacup, his gaze fixed on a copper bell on the curtain wall, as if he were thinking about something, or perhaps he was simply sitting quietly, not thinking about anything at all.

The charcoal burned slowly in the furnace, making a soft crackling sound.

The three women remained seated, none of them touching the wine pot on the table, nor breaking the silence inside the tent.

After a while, Qin Mu put down his teacup and spoke in a moderate voice: "Besides 'entertaining the atmosphere,' did Huyan Lie send you here for anything else?"

The woman in the middle slightly raised her eyes and said in a steady voice, "The Khan said that if Your Majesty wishes, we can stay in Northern Mang for a few more days."

Qin Mu didn't reply. He simply reached out and picked up the plate of walnuts, took one, put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it.

He put the plate back on the table, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "Not bad."

The woman's eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if touched by a breeze, or perhaps not at all.